Lamorinda Briefs, Dec. 28

Town and city offices will be closed for the holidays in Lafayette, Orinda and Moraga.

Lafayette city offices will reopen Jan. 2.

City offices in Orinda will close Jan. 1. The police department dispatch at 925-284-5010 is available during the holiday.

In Moraga, town offices will reopen Jan. 2.

A Look at Human Trafficking

The Orinda-Moraga-Lafayette branch of the American Association of University Women is hosting a program on human trafficking Jan. 15 in Moraga.

"Somewhere Else and Right In Our Own Backyards: A Look at Human Trafficking, Globally and Locally," will be presented by Brenda Helper and Kathy Wilson. Helper is the founder of TassaTag, which raises funds to combat child sex tourism. Wilson is a spokeswoman for New Day for Children, a faith-based program which provides assistance to sexually trafficked and exploited children in the Bay Area.

The program begins with social time and a short business meeting at 9 a.m. at Holy Trinity Cultural Center, 1700 School St., Moraga. Presentations follow at 9:45 a.m.

The final environmental impact report for the proposed Terraces of Lafayette development is available for public review and will be discussed at a meeting Jan. 7.

Developers have proposed a 315-unit apartment complex on a 22-acre lot on Deer Hill Road. Planning commissioners will be deciding with whether the project's environmental review meets the requirements of California's environmental quality law.

Commissioners will not be reviewing the project's merits. The city released a draft report in May.

Colleen McCormick, co-founder of Lamorinda Music, has been chosen as the 2012 Marquis Business Person of the Year, and will be honored at a Feb. 1 dinner at the Lafayette Park Hotel and Spa.

That date was rescheduled from the original Jan. 26.

Colleen and John McCormick, who met playing in the UC Berkeley band, opened the store in July 2010. Their store has since tripled in size.

The dinner -- which also will include the State of the City address by Mayor Mike Anderson -- begins at 6 with cocktails.

California Magic soccer tryouts in January, February

Tryouts for the California Magic Soccer Club will be held starting in January at Bentley School in Lafayette, 1000 Upper Happy Valley Road, for boys and girls U8 (Jan. 1212), U9 and U10 (Jan. 19 and 26).

Tryouts for the U11 — U14 teams will be held in February, with specific dates and times to be determined.

The thefts have generally occurred between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., police believe, specifically targeting lockable mailboxes that may go untended for days at a time.

Collecting mail from any mail box every day, and lighting the area around the mailbox are two precautions that should be taken, police said.

Anyone with information about these thefts is asked to call Orinda Police at 925-254-6820 or the Sheriff's office dispatch at 925-646-2441.

MORAGA

Saint Mary's College's 'Jan Term' speaker series

The theme of the 2013 January Term Speaker Series at Saint Mary's College is "Inspired,"and the featured guest speakers for the "Jan Term" lecture series explore black catholic gospel traditions, indie culture and the catholic church, modern day slavery and leadership to change the world.

Speakers include Jason Connell, who heads up Ignited Leadership, a dynamic Washington, D.C.-based human service organization dedicated to building a better world, one leader at a time,; Father Edward Branch, the Catholic chaplain for the Atlanta University Center; Kaya Oakes, the celebrated author of "Slanted and Enchanted: The Evolution of Indie Culture," with observations on popular culture and on how a lapsed Catholic rediscovers her faith; and humanitarian photographer Lisa Kristine, author of "Slavery," who will share her stories about traveling the world for two years while documenting human trafficking and the horror of modern-day slavery.

The speaker series is an annual staple of Saint Mary's intense monthlong "Jan Term," when students are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones, explore new intellectual territory and take classes that often embody the Lasallian tradition of social action.

All lectures are free and open to the public and, unless otherwise noted, will be in the Soda Activity Center at Saint Mary's College, 1928 St. Marys Road, Moraga.

Town seeks volunteers

The town is seeking volunteers for a number of committees. commissions and boards.

The conference is presented by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce and Chevron Corporation. The $195 ticket price includes continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon reception.

Tickets for the conference, which has sold out its previous seven years, are now on sale to the general public.﻿ Go to http://www.walnut-creek.com and click on the Women's Conference photo on the face page.

'Peaceful Schools' conference Feb. 2

The Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center in Walnut Creek will hold its second annual Creating a Peaceful School Conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Seven Hills School, 975 N. San Carlos Drive in Walnut Creek.

The conference is designed for anyone who works with young people in grades K-12, including parents, teachers, administrators, classroom aides, school personnel and after-school program providers.

The aim is to help participants develop the skills they need to make the classroom, the school and the community a more peaceful place.

The keynote speaker is Ron Claassen, a professor of peacemaking and conflict studies at Fresno Pacific University and director of the Restorative Discipline Project. The focus of the conference will be the use of restorative justice in the classroom setting.

Workshops and classes will cover a variety of topics.

Registration is $35 through Jan. 7, and $40 thereafter. A catered lunch is included. Continuing education credit will be available through Saint Mary's College for a small additional fee.

Full descriptions of presenters and topics and related information will soon be available online. For more information or to register, go to www.mtdpc.org; call 925-933-7850, or e-mail margli@mtdpc.org.